The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is set to have a prominent presence at Computer Shopper during this year's Gitex as it looks to warn users about software piracy.

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is set to have a prominent presence at Computer Shopper during this year's Gitex as it looks to warn users about software piracy.

To help the BSA spread the word, the organisation has set up a simple online quiz that will deliver daily rewards and three grand prizes will be distributed on the final day of the IT trade show.

While the BSA intends to use shopper to further local understanding on anti-piracy issues and the need to safeguard intellectual property rights (IPR), the industry watchdog has already done a great job.

In fact, its last report revealed that software piracy in the Middle East & Africa has dropped from a massive 80% in 1994 to 49%. The Middle East alone recorded a thirty-four point improvement. Within the region, the UAE reported the largest drop in piracy, from 86% in 1994 to 36% in 2002.

"The UAE's leading anti-piracy role in the region is an excellent example of how far-sighted policies and the effective implementation of intellectual property laws (IPL) can make a difference," says Jawad Al-Redha, Middle East co-chairperson of the BSA.

According to the BSA, the Middle East has achieved several records this year. For the first time, nine countries in the Middle East & Africa region appeared in the 'top 25' list for countries with the most improved piracy rates. The study also shows that only one out of every two copies is pirated today, as opposed to four out of five copies in 1994.

"The results of the eighth annual BSA Global Software Piracy Study have once again vindicated the determined stand taken by various countries in the Middle East with regards to safeguarding intellectual property rights and software protection," says Al Redha.

"The significant decrease in software piracy has been the result of the joint efforts of the government authorities in the Middle East and the IT industry, which has come together as one to combat the menace that has been threatening economic development and progress both globally and in the region," he adds.

According to the BSA, the proactive stance of local governments towards protecting the copyright interests of software manufacturers has encouraged many companies to move into the region. For instance, Al-Redha says Dubai's success at combating piracy has been one of the reasons it has grown into a major hub for software vendors.

"The UAE, and specifically Dubai, has become the IT hub of the region with major international software [companies] setting up operations in the emirate to service the IT needs of the Middle East," he explains.

"These positive [anti-piracy] figures once again bring to the forefront the key role that the protection of intellectual property rights plays in achieving a healthy economic climate," he adds.